Things You Need to Know About the Practical Driving Test

The practical driving test lasts for about 40 minutes. Before you even start the driving test, your examiner will ask you to read a car number plate from about 15 metres to make sure your eyesight meets the driving standards. If you have read it incorrectly, you will instantly fail the driving test as you will be considered a danger to other road users because you cannot see properly. However if you have managed the first question, then your driving examiner will ask you two more questions but this time it will be about your own vehicle - this is known as the show-me-tell-me questions. Each question which is wrongly answered will be marked down as a minor driving fault.

Things you can do to ensure a first time pass!

The best way to pass your driving test first time round is by understanding the Highway Code thoroughly and by having a lot of practice driving in different situations - in traffic, in the rain or snow, on dual carriageways, narrow roads, driving at night etc. If a friend or family is teaching you, it is recommended that you take at least a 10 hour course with an approved driving instructor to make sure you are driving upto the standards expected by the driving examiners. This is meant to be just a brush-up for you but is necessary because you might have picked up bad habits from your friend or family.

If you know you've made an error during the driving test, you should not panic or get nervous because you are allowed upto 15 minor driving faults and should therefore concentrate your efforts on your driving to avoid making even more mistakes. Having a mock driving test before you actually attempt the real driving test is a good way to see how confident you are about driving and will also help you to assess your weaknesses and strengths.

Sitting in the car with the driving examiner

You will have to listen carefully to the directions given by your driving examiner. The latter will ask you to turn left/right or stop etc and you will have to follow the instructions as they are said. If you are not sure what to do at any point, you can always ask the driving examiner to repeat the instructions or explain clearly what you need to do. Remember that it is better to ask and know what you are doing during the test than doing something wrong because you did not fully understand what you have been told to do otherwise else you might regret it later on.

During the driving test, your examiner will also ask you to perform a few manoeuvres (usually it's only 2 of them). It can be anything from reverse parking, bay parking, turn in the road, left/right reverse or emergency stop. You should take your time to do the manoeuvre and apply the techniques you've been taught by your driving instructor and pay extra attention to your surroundings to make sure it is safe at all times when you are performing the manoeuvres.

There's also an independent driving part to the test now which seeks to assess your capability to make decisions by yourself while driving safely. This lasts for around 10 minutes and encourages drivers not to memorise routes but to rather develop an ability to find their way around when setting on a journey as opposed to relying on satellite navigation to guide them.

How much does the practical test cost?

If you are taking your practical driving test on weekdays (Monday - Friday), the cost is £62.

If you are taking your driving test during weekends, then you will have to pay £75.